# Türk Maarif Koleji

Türk Maarif Koleji (Turkish pronunciation:), commonly referred to as Kolej, is a selective secondary education institute in Nicosia, Northern Cyprus. Access to the school is only open to students with top score in a nationwide entrance exam. It is an English-medium school.
The school is famous with their highly successful academic programme, consecutively receiving national and international awards. The school is also very successful in sports, musical competitions and science olympiads.
The school follows the English curriculum, preparing students for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education and the GCE Advanced Level examinations. However, students are allowed to follow the Turkish curriculum from Year 10 if they choose to prepare for Yükseköğretim Kurumları Sınavı. All students receive Devlet Lise Diploması (State Lycee Diploma) following their graduation.

## History

The school was founded on 27 January 1964 by Hasan Nevzat and two teachers Behzat Gürsel and Mahmut İslamoğlu all teaching members at the English School, which had remained in the Greek Cypriot controlled side after intercommunal fighting between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots in December 1963. The School was established as a private school in a rented house in the Köşklüçiftlik area and later extended to a ruined church with four classrooms. The school was primarily set up as an English-medium school modelled on the English School, preparing students for the UK GCE examinations. It was then called Kösklüçiftlik İngiliz Okulu (Kösklüçiftlik English School).
Eventually, the school moved to the Victoria Girls High School building near the Atatürk Square, and then transferred to the old Commercial Lycee next to the Haydarpasha Mosque. In 1968, it was turned over to the Turkish Education Office and its name was changed to the İngiliz Koleji (English College). Until the year of 1973 the school did not award a diploma to its graduates. Due to the changes made in the entrance to Turkish universities, the school's name was changed once again to Türk Maarif Koleji (Turkish Educational College) in 1973, and the school was authorised to award high school diplomas to its graduates. The school moved to its present location in 1974 which was previously used by an old Greek Cypriot High School, Gymnasio Neapolis in Kizilbash. After 1991 the secondary school portion (first, second, and third forms) moved to another building (as a separate school, Bayraktar Turk Maarif Koleji, leaving the high school portion (fourth, fifth and sixth forms). In academic year 2009-2010 the secondary school moved back onto the main premises at Okullar Yolu Street, which remains the current location of the school.

### Head teachers

Mr. Hasan Nevzat (1964–1967) - Deceased
Mr. Selim Inan (1967–1969)
Mr. Sacit Nereli (1969 - March 1980)
Mr. Vural Aşıcıoğlu (March 1980 - Sept 1980) (Acting Headmaster)
Mr. Şinasi Tekman (Sept 1980 - March 1990) - Deceased
Mr. Recai Deren (March 1990 - June 1990)
Mr. Erdogan Şensoy (1990–1993)
Mrs. Emine Beton (1993–2001)
Mr. Fehmi Tokay (2001–2020)
Mrs. Candan Kortay (2020-current)

## Athletics

Türk Maarif Koleji has a highly successful athletics programme. Even though the school does not offer any athletic scholarships, the varsity teams earn top national ranks in multiple disciplines.

### 2016-2017 national honours

only teamwise top three results are listed
* First place in high school girls' chess
* First place in high school mixed chess
* First place in high school boys' swimming
* First place in high school girls' table tennis
* First place in high school boys' tennis
* First place in secondary school girls' chess
* First place in secondary school mixed chess
* First place in secondary school boys' futsal
* First place in secondary school boys' table tennis
* First place in secondary school boys' tennis
* Second place in high school boys' basketball
* Second place in high school boys' judo
* Second place in high school girls' swimming
* Second place in secondary school girls' table tennis
* Second place in secondary school girls' tennis
* Third place in secondary school boys' basketball
* Third place in high school girls' cross country running
* Third place in secondary school boys' swimming
* Third place in secondary school girls' swimming

## Notable alumni

* Tufan Erhürman, Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus, Member of Parliament
* Serdar Denktaş, Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister for Finance, former Deputy Prime Minister, former Acting Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus
* Özdil Nami, Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister for Economy and Energy, former Chief Negotiator
* Raşit Pertev, poet, author, former Chief Negotiator, former Cabinet Minister, former Secretary General of World Federation of Farmers, former Undersecretary for the Office of the President
* Mehmet Harmancı, Mayor of North Nicosia, former Cabinet Minister
* Hasan Taçoy, Member of Parliament, former Cabinet Minister
* Mustafa Djamgoz, professor of cancer biology at Imperial College London, Chairman of the College of Medicine's Science Council
* Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, former Member of Parliament, former Cabinet Minister
* Raif Denktaş, composer, journalist, academician, former Member of Parliament, former Political Adviser to the President
* Neşe Yaşın, poet and author
* Suat Günsel, founder of Near East University
* Hussein Chalayan, recipient of the Order of the British Empire, fashion designer and two-times winner of the British Designer of the Year award

## Sister schools

* Pertevniyal High School
* Yeşilköy 50th Year Anatolian High School